As described in above, projects affecting pedestrian facilities must comply with accessibility requirements established in the .

A PAR is a continuous and unobstructed path of travel to accommodate pedestrians with disabilities within or coinciding with a pedestrian circulation path (a path provided for pedestrian travel). In the public ROW, a PAR must consist of one or more of the following components, all meeting requirements as described in following sections:

shows the protected zone in plan and cross section view.

In most cases where pedestrian travel is expected (urbanized areas), the PAR along a roadway will be a sidewalk. Where a sidewalk is present, it must provide a PAR and follow requirements stated below. In some cases where it is desirable to also accommodate bicycle travel, a shared use path (called a sidepath when along the roadway) will provide the PAR for pedestrians and be shared with bicyclists.

TxDOT’s standard for the continuous clear width of a PAR is 5-ft minimum, exclusive of the width of the curb, which exceeds the ADA minimum of 4-ft. The clear width of a PAR may be reduced to 4-ft minimum for short distances, including across driveways, but passing spaces must be provided at intervals of 200-ft maximum. Passing spaces must be 5-ft minimum by 5-ft minimum. If a shared use path is provided, the full width of the shared use path must meet grade and cross slope requirements of a PAR. Width requirements for shared use paths are available in .

Obstructions are objects along or overhanging any portion of the sidewalk or other pedestrian circulation path. These include street fixtures (signal and sign hardware, utilities, luminaires) and street furniture (benches, bus stops, drinking fountains, bicycle racks). The sidewalk may be reduced to a minimum of 4-ft around obstructions for a limited distance. Areas with a vertical clearance less than 80-in in height must have a barrier with the leading edge of the barrier at least 27-in in height. depicts barriers for vertical clearance under 80- in. Pedestrian circulation paths should be designed with minimal obstructions. If obstructions cannot be removed or relocated, move or widen the pedestrian circulation path to maintain the continuous clear width.

Protruding objects are obstructions that protrude more than 4-in into the pedestrian circulation path between 27-in and 80-in in height. Protruding objects below 27-in in height are considered detectable by cane. Protruding objects must be removed from the entire pedestrian circulation path or otherwise protected by a minimum 2.5-in-high foundation or curb to reduce the protrusion to the required 4 inch maximum.

For shared use paths, a minimum clearance of 8-ft for overhead obstructions is recommended to accommodate people riding bicycles and operating Micromobility devices, including on pedestrian bridges which may be used by bicyclists and Micromobility users

The surface material of the PAR must be firm, stable, and slip resistant. Concrete or asphalt surfaces are traditionally used, but other materials may be used provided they meet accessibility requirements. Avoid rough textures, such as cobblestone and heavily textured pavements as they can cause tripping hazards, confusion for pedestrians using tactile wayfinding cues, and painful vibrations for certain people using wheelchairs. Any gaps or openings must be small enough to prevent passing of a ½ inch diameter sphere. Vertical discontinuities are prohibited at grade breaks (such as at the top of curb ramps). Vertical discontinuities of ¼ inch maximum are permitted to be vertical. Between ¼ inch and ½ inch, vertical discontinuities must be beveled at a maximum 2:1 slope. Vertical discontinuities greater than ½ inch and up to 6- in must be beveled at a maximum 8.3% slope. Changes in level greater than 6-in must be designed as a ramp.

Considerations for surfacing of shared use paths are discussed in .

Detectable warnings indicate to pedestrians, especially pedestrians with vision disabilities, the presence of hazards in the line of travel, such as the edge of roadway and railroads, indicating that they should stop and determine the nature of the hazard before proceeding further. The contrasting color and truncated domes are visual and tactile cues for the pedestrians. Section R305 of , of this document, and the current detail the application of detectable warnings in the public ROW

The following three conditions have varying maximum PAR grade requirements:

Where compliance with the above is not technically feasible due to existing terrain or infrastructure, a notable natural feature, or similar existing physical constraints, a variance application must be submitted, and compliance is required to the maximum extent feasible.

The cross slope of a PAR must not exceed 2.0 percent. Due to construction tolerances, it is recommended that sidewalk cross slopes be specified in the plans as 1.5 percent to avoid exceeding the 2.0 percent limit when constructed. The cross-slope requirements apply to PARs across bridge structures as well. The design of sidewalks at driveway crossings must also meet these cross-slope requirements.

Crossings at intersections with stop or yield control (stop sign or yield sign) must have a maximum 2.0 percent cross slope. Signalized intersections, or those without stop control or yield control, must not exceed 5 percent cross slope. Where the PAR is contained within midblock pedestrian street crossings or at a roundabout, the cross slope shall not exceed the street or highway grade.

Section R206 of specifies that where pedestrian signal heads are provided at street crossings, the crossing must include accessible pedestrian pushbuttons complying with R307 of . This applies to new projects or those where the signal controller and software are altered, or the signal head is added or replaced. See of this document for guidance and TRF Division Guidance.

As discussed in micromobility devices include small, fully or partially human-powered vehicles such as electric scooters, motorized wheelchairs, and other power-driven mobility devices as well as electric-bikes (e-bikes), e-scooters, and other similar devices. Many of these devices, such as motorized wheelchairs and electrical bicycles, may serve as a mobility device for pedestrians with disabilities.

They are increasingly common in urban areas and suburban areas in Texas but may also be found in some rural areas. These devices may either be privately owned or part of fleets that are publicly available for short-term rentals. Fleet devices are most often parked in the ROW for pick-up and drop-off either at stations (docked systems) or within a service area (dockless).

In urban and suburban areas serviced by dockless micromobility devices, it is recommended to identify adequate width outside of the PAR for parking of the micromobility devices. This parking area may be in the buffer zone of a sidewalk corridor or within the street adjacent to the curb. The area may flex over time to be used for standard bike parking or other uses if future needs change. Coordination with the local government and micromobility companies should be done to best determine the sizes and locations of these device parking areas. The boundaries of the parking areas should be clearly identified for the use of micromobility devices with surface markings or signage. Many micromobility companies are also now including photo verification of appropriate parking within their smart phone applications which encourages users to properly park devices outside the PAR.

In areas serviced by docked micromobility devices, proposed locations for new docking stations must be coordinated with the local government according to its requirements for micromobility devices. The local government must be notified of any projects affecting existing docking stations. Concerns of the local government should be addressed in the project to the extent practical.

An accessible PAR must be provided around and adjacent to micromobility docking stations and parking areas, per accessibility guidelines.